God Bless America

Library was closed yesterday for Memorial Day. Our ward had a big picnic and it was AWESOME! Memorial Day is pretty big stuff out here. It was a fun day, hanging out with some other elders, that’s always nice. It was at this scout camp on a nice little lake. We took a little walk in the woods and looked around and played around and all. Then - they had a softball game. I'm pretty sure that heaven is really just going to be a big friendly softball game with all your favorite people in the world. It was just great. GREAT! I was cracking up the whole time because we have a few people who are mad competitive and I would just egg em on and on and get into the spirit of competition and all. Oh man it was a blast. Too much fun. Like I said - heaven will be a softball game. One big awesome softball game. Then we'll all take a little break, eat some fruit salad, and play some more softball. Forever. HA!

Last pday I got a little tick bite. It didn't get in me, but I saw it on my arm and I brushed it off. But it did break my skin. It was a little bitty deer tick or whatever. The bad ones. Anyway, it got red and looked like a big spider bite and this recent convert we have kinda flipped out and wanted me to go to the clinic ASAP!!! We volunteer at a health care center so I asked a nurse there and she said watch it but don't worry too much. I later asked another nurse I know and she basically said the same thing. Meanwhile, word traveled around the ward and I heard from like 4 sisters about ticks and lyme disease and like 17 different stories about the symptoms and all that. Everybody told me something different so I didn't know. Then I talked to Sister Pehrson and she really wanted me to get it checked out. Then I called up the mission doctor. I wanted to talk to someone who actually knew, cause I’d heard a million stories. He told me it was nothing, but called in a prescription for something to take. A one time dose kinda deal.

Anyway, this all happened over the course of the past week. Last night, after the picnic and being out in the woods and stuff most of the day, I come home and find I have a real tick. On my stomach. Gross. I felt violated. Having a nasty parasite with its head buried in my skin. I wanted to throw up. I want to throw up just thinking about it. I would skip moving to the east coast just to avoid ticks. And all the other 8 million insects that are everywhere out here. Man I hate bugs.

So we have this Haitian lady thats gonna get baptized soon. Was gonna be this Sunday, but it might get postponed now because she hasn't heard a voice in her ears tell her to get baptized. She's totally ready and should be baptized pretty much ASAP, but she doesn't quite understand that she can get answers in other ways besides hearing an audible voice. She heard a voice once that reminded her that God was there, and then another time to remind her to remember her keys. So she thinks that’s how God speaks to her. Ha - that makes her sound not ready, but trust me, she is.

Rick is still alive. He doesn't go in for his first big thing till June 15th I guess. He's doing good though. He's still pretty much the coolest man alive. I think he's still alive so that he can be baptized. I've heard pancreatic cancer is pretty much the kiss of death. But he's determined to beat it. That’s what you need. He's in a good mental place. He's amazing.

We got a bunch of other investigators who are slackers. I can't blame them though. I was always a slacker with the church. Ha - I never read the Book of Mormon till last Fall! And I get sad when people won't read a chapter. Its frustrating cause I know it can help people so much if they will sincerely experiment on this. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. Whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." That’s John 7:17. I love that scripture. If you want to know if something is true (or good or real or whatever) you have to live it. You have to DO it. Doing is a big problem with people. People can talk and talk and talk about lots and lots of stuff. We all love stuff. But no one wants to actually DO anything about it. Just talk. About stuff.

So I've been here in Madison about 3 months now. This Sunday we'll find out if one of us is leaving. My bet is that I will get a new companion. I’m excited for that but also nervous. I'd like to go somewhere else though. See something new. Meet some new people. We'll see.

I can't remember any awesome spiritual experiences to tell you all about, even though they do happen. And by now I don't have the time to write one. Oh but maybe I got that tick bite last week so that by the time I actually got myself some medicine, then I would have it in time to actually get a real tick. So that I have the medicine before I get lyme disease and become paralyzed. God has a plan, let me tell you. Personally I'd prefer lemon disease. Or zesty orange. Gosh I hate ticks. So gross. I'm throwing up right now. It was so not sweet to look down and see this hienous bug with its head buried in my abdomen. eeeeewwwwwwh. Thats how you spell it. Love you all so much. You can't even imagine. Actaully you probably can. Love

David

Seriously though, ya all just wait for the softball game. Its gonna be great.